Kabuki and takoyaki

Watermelon flavored kitkat

I'm at home, alone, on a Sunday night - my host mom went out to karaoke with her friends, and my sister went to watch fireworks at a nearby summer festival (I was at the grocery store and just missed her). I was supposed to go up Hakodate-yama tonight to see the famous night view, but alas, my plans were thwarted by the weather.

It's been a relaxing weekend - I biked around on my own a lot, covered many miles while sweating enough to fill several buckets. Also went to watch my sister's wind ensemble competition. On Saturday, Eriko-san (from HIF) took me and Wilson to watch a kabuki performance in the courtyard of a temple near HIF. The stage was set up such that for the second act the walls blocking the temple were taken down and the temple was used as the background.

The kabuki stage

It was hard to understand what was being said of all the old Japanese and humble/honorific language that was used, but we managed to understand the general plot of "良弁杉の由来" - it was centered around a mother (who sounded deranged - it was creepy) was on the search for, and eventually reunited with, her son, who was kidnapped 30 years earlier and had since become an important figure at a temple. A group of adorable children also appeared in the performance - that definitely made up for the 2.5 hours of Peking-opera like music and incomprehensible speech.

Some highlights from earlier this week...

Flower arranging and calligraphy - fun times, as usual

Making takoyaki with the Oikawa family!!

This next week is going to be so busy it's almost overwhelming. A preview: tomorrow we have a special (note, mandatory) lecture, and soba and mochi making. On Tuesday we have the dreaded project work presentation (I haven't talked much about project work, but it's the bane of everyone's existence) and costume fitting for the port festival parade. On Wednesday I have a test, and it's my turn to do show and tell. Don't remember what I'm doing on Thursday, probably wrestling a bear. And Friday is the port festival 港祭り!!!!!!